Majority of UK employers unprepared for Employment Rights Act as 64% of workers receive rotas without clear audit trail: UKG survey

LONDON, U.K.

Key Takeaways

  • 1 in 4 frontline workers still receive shift updates verbally or from physical postings, not technology-backed solutions
  • While not yet determined by the law, 1 In 3 employees say one week’s notice for schedule revisions is "reasonable," with 27% preferring two weeks or more
  • Today, only 23% of shift workers receive compensation for short notice shift cancellations, with more men surveyed receiving compensation than women

Most UK employers are not ready for the scheduling, notice, and additional compensation requirements introduced by the UK Employment Rights Act 2025, according to new research from UKG, a leading global AI platform unifying HR, pay, and workforce management.

A survey of over 2,000 UK employees found that 64% of employed frontline workers surveyed still receive shift updates through informal channels including email, text, messaging apps, paper rotas, or verbal communication — none of which provide a clear audit trail. These outdated methods leave employers exposed to compliance risks under the new legislation.

The UK Employment Rights Act is intended to strengthen worker security, fairness, and enforcement across employment law. It specifically addresses zero-hours contracts, giving workers rights to guaranteed hours, reasonable notice of work shifts and shift changes, and compensation for short-notice cancellations, while limiting "fire and rehire" practices and expanding dismissal and redundancy protections.

Russell Howe, Group Vice President EMEA at UKG, said, “Our study provides the first real indicator of employer preparedness as the Employment Rights Act is phased in. Organisations using modern scheduling and workforce managements platforms will be best positioned to adapt to the changes, maintain compliance, and build employee trust. Those relying on spreadsheet rotas and ad hoc communications will struggle to ensure accurate compensation for last-minute changes. They will face compliance challenges and will fall behind their competitors in business performance and recruiting.”

Outdated scheduling practices limit compliance

One-third (33%) of frontline workers say they receive rota updates through WhatsApp, text messages, or email, while a further 26% receive updates from physical postings or via verbal instruction. These informal methods make it difficult for organisations to demonstrate compliance, maintain version control, and ensure employees receive legally mandated compensation for short‑notice changes.

“Frontline-heavy industries like hospitality, logistics, manufacturing, and retail, need modern and proactive workforce management systems,” Howe added. “Without them, organisations lack the labour insights needed to match staffing with demand. Now they will also face additional compliance risk, especially during seasonal peaks and valleys when customer demand fluctuates.”

Compensation for shift cancellations will be a sea change

Nearly 6 in 10 (59%) frontline employees surveyed say employees should be given at least one week’s notice for any schedule revision, with 27% preferring two weeks or more. Just 6% view zero‑ to one‑day notice as acceptable.

Depending how reasonable notice is eventually defined, many organisations may risk owing compensation. More than a quarter of frontline workers (26%) claim their shifts were changed or cancelled with less than seven days’ notice sometimes, often, or very often in the last six months.

With only 23% of shift workers reporting that they receive compensation for short-notice cancellations, the majority of UK employers will now need to adopt new compensation practices. Early indicators suggest that larger employers may fall even further behind, with workers in organisations of 250+ employees appearing significantly less likely to receive compensation than those In SMEs.

The study may also highlight a potential gender gap in compensation practices: Of those surveyed, 29% of men report receiving compensation for short‑notice shift changes, compared to just 17% of women questioned. While the research does not identify the cause of this discrepancy, it underscores the need for more consistent, transparent, and equitable scheduling and pay practices across frontline industries.

“The Employment Rights Act should push organisations to finally retire paper rotas and fragmented communications,” Howe said. “Countries and cities with similar scheduling laws show that organisations using AI‑enabled workforce tools that provide real‑time visibility, predictive scheduling, and robust audit trails are able to plan further ahead and offer employees the stability they want.”

Survey methodology

This survey has been conducted using an online interview administered to members of the YouGov Plc UK panel of 2.5 million+ individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys. Emails are sent to panellists selected at random from the base sample. The e-mail invites them to take part in a survey and provides a generic survey link. Once a panel member clicks on the link they are sent to the survey that they are most required for, according to the sample definition and quotas. (The sample definition could be "GB adult population" or a subset such as "GB adult females"). Invitations to surveys don’t expire and respondents can be sent to any available survey. The responding sample is weighted to the profile of the sample definition to provide a representative reporting sample. The profile is normally derived from census data or, if not available from the census, from industry-accepted data.

Total sample size was 2,014 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken by YouGov between 29 January and 6 February 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of British business size and region.

Supporting resources

About UKG

UKG is a leading global AI platform for HR, pay, and workforce management. Unifying award-winning solutions with the world’s largest collection of workforce data and people-first AI, UKG delivers unrivalled insights into today’s workforce, helping organisations in every industry turn data into decisions that elevate productivity, culture, and the customer experience. Trusted by more than 80,000 organisations across 150 countries, tens of millions of employees — from small businesses to global enterprises — use UKG every day. To learn more, visit ukg.co.uk.


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